Roman Abramovich is undoubtedly one of the most influential owners in Premier League history.
The Russian businessman arrived in England in 2003 when he completed the purchase of Chelsea, and he set about making the club one of the most powerful in England.
His ambition was realised almost immediately when the club won their first Premier League title during the 2004/2005 season.
They have since won four further Premier League crowns as well as numerous domestic cups, and the Champions League in 2012.
Abramovich has always sought to have a more withdrawn role from public life, with even his passionate celebration of goals at Stamford Bridge less visible than in previous seasons.
That may be in part due to the fact his British investor visa expired in April 2018, which it is believed made Abramovich consider his future as owner of the club.
When he was unable to get a new one, he acquired Israeli citizenship instead.
That said, the global coronavirus pandemic has put the spotlight on football, and in particular, owners, as the country seeks to deal with the situation.
What has been Chelsea’s approach to paying their staff?
While some clubs have opted to furlough their non-playing staff, the staff at Chelsea are still being paid their full salaries. The club have also decided to open up the Millennium Hotel on their stadium site to NHS staff working in London hospitals.
They have committed to doing this for two months before reassessing the situation.
The club’s players have also donated money to enable the Chelsea Foundation to help those in need.
Who is Roman Abramovich?
Abramovich is a self-made billionaire that was orphaned as a child. The 53-year-old is the primary owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC and was formerly governor of Chukotka in his native Russia.
He spent $2.5 billion in the Chukotka region, helping to improve the infrastructure.
He briefly served in the Russian military before entering the business world. He sold a 73% stake in Sibneft to state-owned gas company Gazprom for $13 billion in 2005.
Little is known about Abramovich, the man, but his time at Chelsea has been transformative for the football club. He bought Chelsea for an eventual £140million back in July 2003 from Ken Bates, but that figure would go on to be dwarfed by the amount he would invest in the side.
The Blues spent £121m in his first summer buying the likes of Damien Duff, Hernan Crespo, Claude Makelele and Juan Sebastian Veron as the team finished second under Claudio Ranieri.
That spending continued under his successor, Jose Mourinho, and helped establish Chelsea as one of the most successful clubs in modern football.
Roman Abramovich’s Net Worth
According to Forbes, the Russian’s net worth is currently at $11.6billion.
That puts him at 107th on Forbes own list of billionaires from 2019.
Once Russia’s richest man, Abramovich’s net worth peaked at $23.5 billion in 2008.
